by Lynn Shannon
“Okay.” She took a seat next to the officer as Grady and Luke left. Moments later, the door to the interview room opened and they strolled in. Introductions were made—very cordial—and they went through some procedures.
After it was all done, Grady sat back in his chair. “I bet you’re wondering why we asked you here.”
“Kinda.”
“Did you know Vikki Spencer?”
Travis’s brow scrunched. “Vikki? This is about Vikki? Of course I knew her. We went to high school together. We were friends.”
“Nothing more?”
His gaze darted between Luke and Grady. “Hey, is this about her murder? Because I already talked to some other detectives. I have an alibi.”
“Which is what?”
“I was at a movie with some friends. Then we went to dinner.”
Tara’s brows lifted. Was he telling the truth? If so, it meant he hadn’t killed Vikki.
“Okay. We’ll look into that.” Grady made a note on a pad he’d pulled from his sports coat. “So, just for the record, were you and Vikki ever romantically involved?”
Travis froze. His Adam’s apple bobbed.
Grady waited him out. The silence extended until it became uncomfortable even for Tara and she wasn’t the one being questioned.
“Listen, we went out a couple of times.” Travis held up his palms. “But it was never anything serious. It was just a casual thing. And it was a long time ago. Long before she was shot.”
“How long?”
“Uhhhhhhh, I don’t know. It’s been years though.”
Giving him some fudging room, that meant Travis could be Maddy’s father. From her position, she had a unique ability to study his features without being noticed. She didn’t see anything that reminded her of Maddy.
“Can you get any more exact?” Grady asked.
“Not really. Like I said, it was a casual thing. If she was single and I was single, sometimes we went out.” His smile faltered and he quickly added, “But I stopped all of that when I got married.”
Travis leaned on the table and eyed Grady’s book, as if he was checking to make sure the last part of his statement was taken down. “Once I tied the knot, it was all over for me. I was a one-woman man. Then Vikki got pregnant and started going to church. After that, I hardly saw her. Only if she needed her car fixed.”
That didn’t mean Travis wasn’t Maddy’s father. Vikki hadn’t turned her life around until after she got pregnant.
Grady scribbled something in his notebook. “And when did you get married?”
“November fourth. Two years ago.”
Maddy’s birthday was in March so Travis had definitely been married when she was conceived. Had he killed Vikki to hide the truth? And now was he trying to kidnap Maddy to ensure his secret?
It seemed like a stretch. Plus, he had an alibi for Vikki’s murder.
Grady went through forty minutes of questioning. No matter how many rounds he went, Travis insisted he and Vikki had stopped any kind of romantic relationship once he was married. Eventually, the rangers released him.
Tara waited until Travis had left the station, before exiting the observation room. Luke and Grady were in deep discussion in the hall. They stopped when she drew closer.
“What is it?”
Grady tucked his hands in his pockets. “We can’t rule him out. We’ll have to run down his alibi and dig more.”
“But…if his alibi holds, that means he couldn’t have killed Vikki. And I’m sure the other detectives checked it.”
Grady opened his mouth but hesitated.
“Don’t. Just spit it out, whatever it is.” Tara crossed her arms over her chest. “I told you, I can’t protect Maddy from what I don’t understand.”
“We know the gun used to shoot Vikki was also used in the attack against you. What we don’t know is if the same person was holding it both times.”
Her lips parted as the implication of his words hit her.
There could be two of them.
Tracking down leads. That’s how Grady spent his entire Wednesday and most of Thursday but with little to show for it. Frustration and a massive headache plagued him as he crossed over the threshold of Tara’s office.
The waiting room was empty of patients. Tara was talking with her receptionist/nurse. The stethoscope around her neck was decorated with a smiling worm and matched the cartoon on her scrub top. She flashed Grady a smile and his heart sputtered.
“…and that should be it.” Carol picked up her purse and threw the strap over her shoulder. “I’ve rearranged your schedule for tomorrow. If you need to stay at home the entire day, don’t worry. We can figure things out. The first priority has to be little Maddy.”
“Thank you, Carol.”
Grady held the door open. It earned him a smile from the older woman. “Thanks, Grady.”
He made sure Carol got to her car okay before closing and locking the door. Tara was making a notation in a chart.
“Busy day?” he asked.
“It was. Cold and flu season is always rough, but there’s also a bad stomach virus going around. Lots of sick kiddos.” She clicked the pen closed. “I spoke with your dad about half an hour ago. He said everything is quiet.”
Grady wasn’t surprised Tara had been checking in on Maddy. He’d been doing the same. “The ranch is practically a fortress. Everyone, from my dad to the ranch hands, is on guard.”
“I know. Trust me, it’s the only reason I could come to work these last couple of days.” Tara removed her stethoscope and lab coat and hung them in a small closet. “How did things go for you? Any progress on the case?”
“Not as much as I would like.” He ambled over to the waiting room chairs and started gathering discarded magazines. “Travis’s alibi for the time of Vikki’s murder does check out. That doesn’t completely clear him, but without more evidence I can’t ask for a search warrant of his shop and house. Dan’s truck was also untouched.”
“I told you it would be.”
“I know, but we had to check. He was the last person we spoke to. It wouldn’t have been difficult for him to follow us home.”
“Anyone could have been lying in wait for us. There are only two roads leading to your family’s property.” She took the magazines from him and tucked them into the holder. “I keep mulling it over, and I can’t quite figure out why he attacked us. We didn’t have Maddy.”
“You’re assuming the perpetrator knew that. We can’t even be sure he knew I was in the vehicle. Since we were driving in your car, it’s possible he thought you and Maddy were alone.”
Each attack was a little less planned and riskier. It upped the chances that the kidnapper would strike again. Grady knew Maddy was safe logically, but emotionally the threat weighed on him.
He rubbed his eyes. It felt like there was sandpaper inside. “The tip line we started has been getting a ton of calls. Officers are sifting through them, but it’s going to take time.”
She squinted. “Are you feeling okay? You look a bit flushed.”
His arm was burning and had been for the whole afternoon. If he didn’t do something about it, the problem would get worse. He gritted his teeth together. “Actually, there is something I need you to look at.”
He unbuttoned his sleeve and lifted it up. The deep cuts ran across his skin, the area around them puffy and red.
Tara’s lips pressed into a thin line. She took his hand and twisted to examine the injury in the light. The warmth of her fingers on his bare skin was far more distracting than it should’ve been, given the circumstances.
“This happened when you saved Maddy, didn’t it?” She sighed, not waiting for his answer. “Okay, tough guy. Come with me.”
She led him into an exam room and started pulling things from the cabinet above. Instead of sitting on the exam table, he opted for the chair next to the counter. No hint of bleach or antiseptic scent drifted over him. He took a deep breath. “It smells good in here. Like a
garden.”
“Rose and Lavender. Essential oils.” She lifted his arm and spread paper towels underneath. “They’re known to have a calming effect. Most people don’t like going to the doctor, and I try to make the process easier. It was something I learned when my mom was sick. It didn’t cure her, obviously, but natural remedies and modern medicine can work together. She loved essential oils.”
She picked up a bottle and warned him. “This will sting.”
“I can handle it.”
She sprayed the liquid and fire burned straight up his arm. Tara leaned over. Strands of her hair had pried free of her ponytail and his fingers itched to touch them. This close to her, the faint freckles along the bridge of her nose were defined, the fullness of her lips more visible. Better to focus on her than on the injury.
“Did you know you wanted to be a doctor before your mom got cancer?”
“Mostly. I always loved biology and chemistry in school.” She wiped the excess liquid from his skin. “Although I was dead set on going into oncology for a long time.”
“What made you change your mind?”
She paused, her focus on his arm. Yet he sensed she was struggling with how to answer his question.
“My mom might’ve lived.” Her voice trembled. “If there had been a doctor in town back then, if she’d caught the cancer earlier, she would’ve had a fighting chance.”
Her words hit him like a gut punch. His breath caught. “I didn’t know that.”
“No one does. I found out after I went to medical school. That’s when I decided to come back to Sweetgrass.”
To be their doctor and prevent others from suffering the way her mother had. The way she had. He’d known some of her reasoning had to relate back to her mother’s illness, but hearing it from her own mouth moved him more than he expected.
“Your mom would be proud. Not just because you became a doctor or for moving back here, but also for adopting Maddy. None of those things were easy.”
Tara shrugged. “She raised me to be tough.”
Yes, she had. Vulnerability wasn’t something Tara revealed often, yet here she was, showing it to him. She trusted him. To protect her and Maddy. To cry on his shoulder. To tell him things she didn’t share with others.
It was the wall. The one he’d sensed was always there and couldn’t figure out how to traverse. She was taking it down. Coupled with her recent touches, the way she looked at him…maybe there was something more between them than just friendship after all.
He swallowed hard. Grady had faced down hardened criminals and terrifying drug lords without batting an eyelash, but the idea of sharing his feelings with Tara left him queasy.
Being honest with her might take more courage than he had.
Nine
Tara had dressed wounds hundreds of times. She’d always been able to focus on the task at hand, but with Grady, it was nearly impossible. He smelled like hay and sunshine. His skin was bronzed from working outside, the muscles of his forearm strong and well-defined.
“I’m almost done.” She opened the overhead cabinet and snagged an extra tube of antibiotic ointment. “I’ll give you this to take home. You need to use it twice a day and change the bandage.”
“Okay.” He shifted in the chair and cleared his throat. “Do you have any advice for my leg? I’ve done everything the doctors have told me, but it aches and I get cramps.”
The admission couldn’t have been an easy one. Grady was a proud man. A slow warmth spread in her chest. She was touched he trusted her enough to ask.
“There are some stretches I can show you. Big ones for when you are at home, but even smaller ones you can do in the car or while at the office. It’ll prevent the muscles from becoming stiff, which should reduce the cramps.”
The need to keep their relationship light, for her own self-preservation, meant she avoided asking Grady deep questions. But this time, she couldn’t help herself. “What was it like? Working undercover.”
“An adrenaline rush. Like riding a rollercoaster without the seat belt.” He half shrugged. “It’s not for everyone. You have to stay cool under pressure and lie with ease. Plus the risks are high. If the information you have is bad or if a confidential informant betrays you, things can go south fast.”
“Is that what happened to you?”
He hesitated, and she wanted to kick herself. Asking for help with his leg didn’t mean he wanted to discuss how the injury happened. She focused on cutting a bandage. “Never mind. We don’t have to talk about it.”
“No, it’s okay.”
Her hands stilled.
“We got some reliable information about a gambling ring that moved from place to place to avoid detection.” The words came out slowly, painfully. As if he were removing porcupine quills one at a time from bruised and tender flesh. “The operators of the ring had multiple streams of income—not only gambling but also drugs. An undercover officer with the local police department had received a tip about the next location. It was decided the two of us would go in together along with his confidential informant. We’d verify the leaders were in-house and then bust the entire group. For this type of operation, backup is down the street and we wear cameras and microphones. At first, things went as planned, but something about the confidential informant felt off to me. I worked my rescue signal into a sentence—”
She frowned, and he caught the expression.
“It’s a word you give when everything goes south. In my case, it was karma. It signals to law enforcement in the truck to move in.” His jaw tightened. “Backup couldn’t get to us fast enough to stop the ambush.”
She sucked in a sharp breath. “Your instincts were right.”
“Unfortunately. They saved my life, but the other officer died.” He stared at the tile floor, his voice hollow. “Max Walker. I didn’t know him well, but it doesn’t matter. He was one of us.”
“I’m sorry.” She reached out and grabbed his hand. “It’s a weak phrase that doesn’t help much, but it’s the truth. I wish things had gone differently.”
“So do I.”
The pad of his thumb brushed against her knuckle. Heat coursed up her arm.
“I struggled for a while afterward.” He kept his attention locked on their joined hands. “Guilt can do a number on you. Getting shot also made me realize I wasn’t invincible.”
Is that what had brought on this attraction? She’d always known Grady was good-looking. There was never a doubt about that. But the wisdom in his eyes was new. There was a depth to him, an understanding that hadn’t been there when he was younger.
“It changed you.”
“It forced me to figure out what I really want. I love law enforcement. It gives me purpose, but it’s not everything.” He met her gaze. Held it. “I want to share my life with someone. Raise my children on the ranch that has been in our family for six generations. Be part of a community.”
His words tugged on a place inside of her she’d buried and hadn’t wanted to acknowledge. She also longed for a sense of home and belonging. She hadn’t had anything close to it since her mom died.
Grady rose and Tara didn’t move. The air between them shifted, electrified. She licked her lips. “Why…why haven’t you dated since moving back?”
“I’ve been holding out for someone special, but I’m not sure how she’ll react if I tell her the truth.” Grady reached up. His fingers brushed against her hair, tucking the loose strands behind her ear. “I don’t want to scare her off.”
Her breath hitched. Her. He was talking about her. The thrumming of her heart increased. She leaned closer. His gaze dropped to her mouth.
Yes.
The thought was instinctive. Not fully realized or even one she could question. Grady tilted down, sweeping his lips against hers. The kiss was light. Butterfly soft. He backed away slightly, questions and concerns etched into his features.
Tara closed the distance.
The moment their lips touched, sparks flew. Gra
dy’s arms came around her and drew her closer. Everything dropped away. There was nothing but him. Them. These feelings swirling inside of her and the sensation of his mouth on hers.
She didn’t want it to end.
A cell phone trilled, bringing her back to reality. Grady groaned and rested his forehead against hers. “Sorry. That’s me.”
Tara’s brain jumped to worst-case scenarios. “Maddy.”
“No. My parents have a special ringtone.” He released her and pulled the phone from his pocket. “West.”
Luke’s voice filtered out of the speaker. Grady squeezed her arm and mouthed witness.
She nodded. Taking her own cell phone from her pocket, she shot off a message to Grady’s mom. A reply came back almost immediately. Maddy was having a snack. Accompanying the text was a photo of her daughter wearing a wide smile and a giant-sized bib.
Tara touched a finger to her lips, still warm from Grady’s kiss. What was she doing? Playing with fire, that’s what.
Grady hung up, and she showed him the photograph. He smiled. “She’s having the time of her life.”
“She’s a foodie, that’s why.” She clicked her phone closed. “What’s up?”
“A witness has come forward who thinks he saw the perpetrator on the night of your attack. He called into the station after seeing it on the news. I’m going to talk with him, but I can drop you off first.”
“No need. I’ll go with you. Maddy’s fine and I wanted to stop by my house and pick up clean clothes for the next couple of days anyway.” She removed the back of the bandage and pressed the edges against his skin. “Okay, you’re good to go. I want to check it tomorrow evening and make sure it’s healing well.”
“Tara…”
She shook her head. “Let’s not talk about it now. We’re fine. I promise. There’s just a lot going on.”
“You’re right.” He scraped a hand through his hair. “It’s just…I don’t regret it. I hope you don’t either.”
The thread of uncertainty in his voice tugged at her heartstrings, slipping right past all those defenses she couldn’t manage to keep up around him anymore.